National Committee on US/China Relations celebrate 50th anniversary

World Today

The National Committee on U.S./China Relations handed out lifetime achievement awards to two men who have helped bridge ties between China and the United States over many decades: American diplomat Henry Kissinger and business executive Maurice Greenberg.

The event comes at a challenging time for bilateral relations.

CCTV America’s Karina Huber reports.

On Thursday, the committee handed out two lifetime achievement awards – to former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger and Maurice Greenberg, former CEO of insurance giant AIG.

The National Committee on U.S./China Relations was established back in 1966 – six years before Nixon’s historic visit to China. Its goal was to encourage a better understanding between the two countries at a time when there was very little dialogue – at least diplomatically.

All of that changed when Kissinger orchestrated a meeting between President Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong in 1972 – triggering a thawing of relations after a 25-year freeze.

But with the election of Donald Trump there are worries about the future of that relationship. Trump has vowed to label China a currency manipulator on his first day in office. He’s also said he will hit Chinese imports with 45 percent tariffs.

Greenberg, who was at the helm of AIG when it became one of the first foreign insurance companies given access to China, is advocating for a free trade agreement between the two nations.

And there are other areas of tension including the controversial phone call Trump accepted from the leader of Taiwan, which has raised concerns about Trump’s commitment to the One-China policy, which has been the bedrock of U.S./China relations for decades.